Support will be extended to sell products made by the differently abled through the government chain taking into account their quality and possibility for sale, Minister for Social Justice R. Bindu has said.
She was replying to a submission by V.R. Sunil Kumar, Kodungallur MLA, in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Dr. Bindu said that at present, special racks had been arranged in Supplyco’s hypermarket, people’s bazaar, and supermarket to sell Kudumbashree products as per an agreement between Kudumbashree and Supplyco. Steps would be taken along the same lines to sell products made by the differently abled through government, cooperative, and Supplyco outlets, she said.
The government, the Minister said, was implementing a number of welfare projects for the uplift of the differently abled and bringing them into the mainstream. A number of skill training programmes were being held for the differently abled through the Social Justice department’s vocational training centres, welfare institutions, Kerala State Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Corporation, and non-governmental organisations running with government support. Self-employment training that could be done at home too was provided in this manner.
One-time financial aid was given to women whose husbands were dead or had abandoned them and were taking care of children with acute physical or mental challenges. The aid is under the Swashraya scheme for taking up self-employment.
The government was also giving loans to the differently abled through the Kerala State Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Corporation and the Employment department to take up self-employment, Dr. Bindu said in the Assembly.
